


Daughters of Space and Time, Book 1

by dualmodality



Category: Tales of Inthya - Effie Calvin
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 07:14:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29203434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dualmodality/pseuds/dualmodality
Summary: Orsina and Aelia are returning to Bergavenna with the Unbinding Stone after saving Ioanna and defeating Edan.
Relationships: Aelia/Orsina
Kudos: 4





	1. I. Orsina

**Daughters of Space and Time**

—or—

_The Continuing Romantic Adventures of Orsina of the Melidrie and the Goddess of Inspiration_

By JHF (2020–2021)

_To Mango, our new plague companion and napping buddy._

**I. Orsina**

They reached Aola in the evening. Mayor Adamo and his husband Dior happily greeted them at the manor house. “Welcome, Dame Orsina! Were you successful in Xytae?”

“I was: a chaos god has been returned to Asterium and the artifact that was in his possession has been recovered.” Orsina decided that there was no need to mention Princess Ioanna’s rescue.

“And Lady Elyne, did you find your brother?” Dior asked as the travelers were escorted inside and servants tended to their horses and packs.

“I did, though he was not as hospitable as I had hoped.” That was putting it mildly. Orsina could still feel Edan’s claw ripping out her throat. “But, Dame Orsina has agreed to let me travel with her for a while longer.”

“Was there any doubt of that?” Adamo asked as they settled in the parlor. A servant delivered wine and canapés. “We had gathered that you were courting.”

“There was some doubt,” Orsina replied. She still had no idea how her knight commander was going to respond when she informed him of her intention to court a reformed chaos goddess. “We did not wish to commit before we visited her brother, and I was concerned for her safety had I to continue my quest.”

“Your quest is over, then?"

Orsina hesitated. Her quest had been a lie, so she didn’t feel right saying she had completed it. Fortunately, Aelia stepped in. “In a miraculous display of power, Iolar appeared to us and healed the grievous wounds Orsina had sustained. We have a few tasks remaining, but great evil will no longer trouble these lands for a time, at least.”

“Iolar be praised!” their hosts whispered in awe.

“In truth,” Orsina added quickly, “I would have failed without your help,” she gestured to indicate she was talking to Aelia. She wanted to consult with her superiors on whether using her pseudonym constituted a lie. On the one hand, using chosen names was expected. On the other, Aelia used the name only to hide her true identity. And Orsina hated not being able to give her the credit she was due for actually defeating Edan. She deserved praise, as well. “Aelia also deserves our gratitude.” Aelia blushed deep red and her eyes shimmered.

“Aelia?” Dior asked.

“A very minor goddess,” Aelia answered, self-deprecatorily. “The practically unknown Goddess of Inspiration. Convincing Orsina to take on a companion was her idea.”

“And it was a good one. Without your knowledge we would still be plagued by that... wraith, was it called?” Adamo said.

“Yes,” Orsina nodded, “I think I can say I would either be dead or still wandering Vesolda without Aelia’s aid and guidance.”

“Then we will offer prayers of gratitude to her, as well. Aola certainly owes you all, as do Dior and I personally," Adamo said.

“It's almost a shame that your quest is over. I, for one, would feel safer knowing you were actively protecting Vesolda.”

Orsina smiled. “Unless the Order requires otherwise, we have no intention of resting anytime soon.” She was eager for the journey to Birsgen and hoped that the Order would consent to her continuing her errantry.

“The road suits us. It’s much more interesting,” Aelia added. She was definitely not the sort of goddess who would take easily to being in one place for long.

A servant entered to announce that supper was ready. “Come!” Adamo said, rising. “It’s an honor that Aola should be the first to rejoice in your success.”

True to Adamo’s word, supper was celebratory. Orsina allowed Aelia to carry the conversation. In addition to hearing her masterfully-told stories about their adventures, their hosts also expressed interest in learning more about the obscure Goddess of Inspiration. Orsina couldn't help but smile when Aelia suggested that they could take up an art as a way to work through their grief. Orsina decided she was going to enjoy Aelia’s proselytizing: she had spent so long minimizing herself, believing herself to be useless and unimportant and helpless. Orsina knew it would not take much to convince humans to believe in her, and she hoped that their belief would help her come to believe in herself. Orsina could imagine the day when they began encountering shrines to “her wife” in towns and villages they passed through, quiet shelters in groves or on a lakeshore where people would go to think and daydream.

_Do you think that could really happen?_ Aelia said, except that she hadn't said it: she was still deep in conversation about the relative merits of different arts as media for exploring grief. Orsina realized Aelia was “speaking” directly into her mind. It was the first time Aelia had communicated with her in that way, and the realization startled her.

Dior must have noticed. “Is something wrong, Dame Orsina?”

“No, nothing’s wrong.” Orsina glanced at Aelia, who was looking embarrassed, even ashamed. _No, it’s all right,_ she thought, forming the words very distinctly in her mind. _You just startled me._ When Aelia didn’t respond, she thought again: _Can you hear me?_

_Yes, you don’t have to shout. But it’s tricky to carry on two conversations at the same time._

_Right. Sorry._

After supper, their hosts escorted them to the same room in which they had stayed previously “I'm sorry about earlier,” Aelia said when they were alone. “I could see what you were thinking so clearly, and it was so amazing—do you think people might really do that?—And it was hard to keep the conversation going when I was so focused on that. I. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’ll try to be more ordinary.”

Orsina pulled her into a tight embrace. “Please don’t. Listen, back in Kyneth, after you returned from Asterium and you were in your other form and you asked me how I preferred that you look—”

“And you said Elyne.”

“And I said that I wasn’t sure because I wasn’t used to seeing you in your other form.”

“Yes.”

“Aelia, you should be how you prefer. Please don’t ever feel you have to hide or pretend or minimize who you are, what you are, for me. If we’re going to court each other, I want to court, want to love, all of you. Okay?”

“Okay.” Aelia’s voice hitched a little. “You are too good and too kind. Do you know that?”

Orsina kissed her, then kissed away the tears running down her cheeks. Shyly, Aelia transformed into her old form, taller, more buxom, with moon-pallid skin, iridescent hair, and amethyst eyes, “I. I’m happy to be Elyne, too. Maybe I’ll just let this form go: goodbye Goddess of Caprice.”

“If that’s what you decide you want. But I will love you—Aelia—in all of your forms.”

“Could you ever really be attracted to a body as...inhuman as this?”

Orsina brought her hand to Aelia’s cheek. “Well, you’re not a giant shark, so you have that going for you. Would you like me to show you exactly how attracted I am to you?”

Aelia currently did not have blood, per se, but she still blushed deeply. “Now? Are you sure that wouldn’t be something you'd regret?”

“I’m sure.”

“Then, yes. Please.”


	2. II. Aelia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orsina and Aelia continue their journey from Aola to Bergavenna. They have to stop and camp for the night between Aola and Catorisci.

II. Aelia

Back on the road the next morning, Aelia could still feel the endorphins coursing through her more human-functioning body. Orsina had woken her at dawn with a demonstration that she didn't regret the previous night. Aelia was grateful that Orsina was also a patient teacher, given that she had no experience and little instinct to fall back on. Trusting Lavender to follow Star without guidance, she closed her eyes and relived the experience of Orsina’s muscular body pressed tightly against her own.

Orsina cleared her throat. “Should we try to find a private place off the road to stop?”

“Sorry,” Aelia said sheepishly. “Was I that obvious?”

“Well, you were planting the image directly into my mind.”

Aelia turned bright red. “Ack! That was an accident I'm sorry.”

“Why? I'm glad to know how you feel. In fact,” Orsina added with a smile, “you’ve ‘inspired’ me to try a couple of things next time.”

“Oh!” Aelia said breathlessly.

“But, maybe tonight? If we stop too often, there will be lots of camping out and it will take us months to get to Bergavenna.”

“And Ioanna's letter will never get to Birsgen,” Aelia agreed. “I can wait,” she said, then flashed Orsina a wicked smile, “if you promise it will be worth my while.”

Orsina shrugged. “I think you'll like it.”

“I guess I'll just have to wait and find out then.” They rode on for a few minutes, with Aelia struggling to keep her mind off of Orsina’s body, with limited success.

Eventually Orsina broke the silence. “So how does your mental communication work? Do you just hear what everyone nearby is thinking?”

“No, though I can look into someone’s mind if I focus on them. If they’re one of my worshippers, I don’t even have to be close. I haven't looked into your mind since Soria,” Aelia added quickly.

“But you saw what I was thinking at dinner last night,” Orsina observed.

“And, well, you saw what I was thinking just now. I don’t know why. I’m not meaning to. I’m sorry.”

“Stop being sorry,” Orsina chided gently. “I mean, it would be nice to know that you aren’t accidentally projecting images of me without my clothes to random passers-by, but otherwise it’s not bad” She paused for a minute, considering. “Do gods and mortals fall in love often?”

“No. Love isn’t instinctive for gods in the same way it is for mortals. And in the process of convincing mortals to worship and obey, most of us convince ourselves that we’re ‘better’ than you, in the same way that you're ‘better’ than Star. I can think of a few gods that might seek out a mortal for a bit of fun: the Goddess of Caprice, for instance; but she wouldn’t have called it love.”

“Then you don’t have any siblings to ask for advice.”

“Except for Dayluue, and she’s not usually forthcoming: she enjoys watching lovers muddle about to figure things out on their own.”

“Then I suppose we’ll have to muddle about and figure things out on our own,” Orsina said. Then she shouted, _AELIA, CAN YOU HEAR ME?_ directly into Aelia's brain.

_You don’t have to shout! Think of it like praying. Try talking to me like you would pray to Iolar._

Orsina looked at her, clearly confused. Then, _O, Aelia, blessed mother of our Inspiration..._ in a declamatory style that was just as loud as shouting. Aelia laughed so hard that she almost fell out of her saddle. “What?” Orsina said out loud.

“I can't believe he makes you pray like that; except no, I can totally believe it.” Slowly Aelia regained her composure. “Try imagining that we’re having a conversation, that we’re eating lunch, or lying in bed or riding next to each other on the road to Bergavenna.”

_Like this?_

_Perfect. Actually, maybe that’s it. Maybe by thinking about each other we’re accidentally thinking with each other._

_That’s...peculiar. Why would that be?_

_It’s just a guess. I honestly don’t know._

_And is there a way for me to think about you without interrupting whatever you were thinking?_

_Let’s find out._

They spent the morning experimenting with their newfound mode of communication. Not only were they able to “speak” with and project images to each other, they could also send touch sensations, scents, and tastes (though it was difficult for Orsina to imagine scents and flavors strongly enough to be identifiable), and when they concentrated they could sense their relative position, both direction and distance. With effort, they discovered they could piggyback on each other’s sensory consciousness so that they could sense what the other was sensing directly, though doing so completely separated them from their own bodies. Orsina nearly fell off of Star’s back when she tried. It also drained Aelia’s magic regardless of who was the passenger. But, the techniques all worked at any distance and even when Aelia was in Aethitide,

When they stopped for lunch, they both were mentally and magically exhausted, and Aelia was beginning to get her worst headache since her first (and last) hangover. They ate a light picnic lunch in the shade of a large stand of trees. After lunch, Aelia tried to convince Orsina to set up their camp for the night, but instead they decided that she would ride on Star with Orsina and that Lavender could carry more of their gear.

It was a bit of a trick for both Aelia and Orsina to fit in the saddle. Aelia solved the problem by using the last dram of her magic to transform into an eight-year-old version of Elyne. She could have gone back to Aethitide and let Ors in a travel on her own, but neither of them cared for that option. Aelia nestled, child-like, into Orsina, not minding the feeling of Orsina’s chain hauberk or the smell of steel and leather and horse and sweat. She closed her eyes and drifted off, reveling in the sensation of feeling absolutely safe for the first time since the Beginning.

Orsina gently woke Aelia up about an hour before sunset: they would have to camp for the night. Their road had followed the course of a stream for some part of the way and, when the two diverged, Orsina had followed the stream until she had found a suitable place to stop. The stream was shallow and clear, and it was hard for Aelia to resist wading in at once, but they would want a fire, so she went to look for dead wood instead while Orsina tended their horses and unpacked what they would need for the night.

By the time Aelia had returned with her fifth bundle, the sun had set and Orsina had finished setting up the camp and was arranging the wood for the fire. Aelia watched as she carefully placed the smaller sticks in a cone over a pile of bark scraps and shavings, then surrounded the cone with larger logs. “Why do you do that?”

“You can’t set fire to the logs directly. Well, you could, I suppose, but most humans can’t. So, we light the bark and shavings, because they catch fire easily, and they light up the larger sticks which burn hot enough to ignite the logs.”

“Couldn't you just throw, the next piece on top when the fire was ready for it?”

“You could, but by building it first, you have more control over how big you want your fire to be, and it’s more free to burn at its own pace: sometimes if conditions are good it will burn quickly, but if the wood is wet or if it’s cold or windy it may take a little longer.”

“Huh.”

“It’s like anything, really: you have to start small and work your way up, and if you have a good plan, you have a better idea of when you’re ready for the next thing.” Orsina struck her flint until the tinder caught the spark, and soon they were eating their supper by firelight. After supper, they sat cuddled together, silently watching the flames slowly ember. Aelia took some time to answer her worshippers’ prayers. Mostly they were prayers of gratitude: her friends in Catorisci sharing their progress with her, as if she had done more than just give them a few ideas. It was humbling. There was also a prayer for guidance from Dior. At first, Aelia had no idea what to suggest, but then Orsina’s words about the fire came to her: start small and let it grow in its own time. So she suggested that he write down some of the thoughts and feelings he has when he thinks of his son.

When she had finished answering Dior’s prayer, she brought her awareness back to the fire and Orsina next to her. “You’re beautiful when you answer prayers,” Orsina whispered, wrapping her arm around Aelia and drawing her even closer.

“I am?” It hadn't occurred to Aelia that she looked any different than normal when she was answering prayers.

Orsina nodded. “You're usually cheerful, but when you’re answering prayers you look peaceful and happy and...beatific, I suppose.”

Aelia grimaced. “I bet most people probably think I look strange, staring into nothing with a stupid grin on my face.”

“I guess I’m not most people, then, because it makes me happy to see you happy.” Orsina kissed her tenderly, combing her hand through Aelia's hair and laying her down onto the grass by the dying fire. Orsina leaned in to kiss her, but then pulled back and yawned. She shook her head a little and blinked several times, then smiled ruefully. “I know I promised earlier, but I’m exhausted."

Aelia shifted onto her side and let Orsina lie down next to her. “You didn’t have a nap,” she observed. “Beds are probably better for that sort of thing, anyway: less chance of accidentally rolling over a pebble while in the throes of passion.”

"You're not disappointed?” Orsina asked while yawning again, already drifting off.

“I don’t think you’re capable of disappointing me, my love,” Aelia whispered. Orsina began snoring lightly. Aelia kissed her lightly on the forehead and snuggled in against her as tightly as she could. The night air was chilly, with a light breeze rustling through the trees, and Orsina was laying between her and the fire and was large enough that her body was absorbing what little heat the dwindling coals were generating. Eventually, even Orsina began shivering in her sleep, and Aelia decided it was time to be tucked into the pallet Orsina had prepared for them. Aelia considered several options for moving Orsina over to their blankets, including teleportation, levitating her with magic, and changing size so that she could physically lift her, before deciding that the simplest option was to pick up and more the pallet and roll Orsina onto it. After all, even though her magic regenerated ridiculously quickly now that she had real, enthusiastic worshippers, it probably wasn’t a good idea to get into the habit of using it to solve every problem: she wanted to be able to pass for human.

Steeling herself against the cold, she extricated herself from Orsina’s heavy, unconscious embrace and went to collect the blankets. There was no way she would be able to reassemble them as neatly and effectively as Orsina had, but she tried to observe and duplicate the technique as closely as she could. As she collected the last of the blankets, she noticed that Orsina had also prepared the protective runes the Order’s paladins routinely used. She wondered whether they would affect her as they had the night they had camped out between Catorisci and Sacissa, now that her domain had changed. And, as she lay awake staring at stars peeking through the canopy of the trees.and listening to the leaves in the wind and Orsina's soft, steady breathing, she pondered why she hoped that they would.

It would be inconvenient if they did, of course: Orsina would probably insist on taking turns keeping watch, or Aelia would have to sleep outside the ward, in which case she might as well spend the night alone in Aethitide. It would be a routine reminder that there would always be an essential part of who she was that was fundamentally antithetical to Orsina’s faith and vocation. But Aelia was chaotic, liked being chaotic. She did not want to give up that part of herself, and she knew that Orsina wouldn’t want her to, either.

Mostly it was an issue of problematic nomenclature. Talcia certainly hadn’t given up her wildness when she married Iolar, and Reygmadra...well. And Dayluue could topple empires if she wanted. In the end, Iolar was probably the only god who didn’t have at least some potential to cause chaos. The distinction between “gods” and “chaos gods” had always been more about Iolar’s willingness to tolerate you than your actual nature. Assuming it was that logic that determined whether the Order’s warding magic treated her as a threat, Aelia would be fine. But Aelia decided that she had no intention of renouncing “chaos”, and if the Order and the Temple had a problem with that, they could stuff it. Aelia drifted off to sleep imagining herself saying so to Orsina’s commander’s face, a contentedly defiant smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My hope/intention going forward is to stick faithfully to canon, but I’m probably going to end up going off on more “philosophical” tangents than Effie does. What does it mean (in the context of Inthya) to be a god? What does it mean to be a human who loves a god? All of Effie’s gods have this beautiful balance between being elemental/motivated by their “domain” and being people. I cried for Reygmadra at the end of DotM, and got a little angry at Dayluue for being cruel and selfish.  
> Anyway, thank you again, Effie.


	3. III. Orsina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orsina and Aelia continue toward Catorisci, the place where Aelia was first worshipped as the Goddess of Inspiration. There’s a little excitement at the end, which is a cliffhanger/set-up for a major plot episode in Ch. 4 and possible Ch. 5 (in progress). I’ll try to get that written ASAP because cliffhangers suck.

III. Orsina

“We’ll probably reach Catorisci this afternoon,” Orsina mentioned as they were eating breakfast. “I bet your friends will be excited to see you.”

Aelia's face briefly flashed with excitement, but then clouded over. “They’ll be excited to see Elyne,” she sighed.

“You’re not going to tell them?” Orsina asked, surprised.

“What am I supposed to say? ‘Hi, thanks for worshipping me, I hope we can still be friends.’”

“That seems like a good start,” Orsina encouraged.

Aelia glared at her. “Orsina, do you think you could ever be friends with Iolar?”

Orsina burst out laughing. “No, definitely not. But you’re not Iolar. If you and I can figure out how to love each other, then I’m sure you and the artists in Catorisci can figure out how to build your friendship.”

Aelia shook her head. “Being someone’s god means having power over them. Claretta and I were chatting about Ridon once and I was complaining about how he only gives his blessing to certain families and she said she was going to stand farther away so she wouldn’t get struck by the lightning bolt he was going to zap me with. If I tell her I’m a god, suddenly I’m the one holding the lightning bolt over her head. At that point I might as well put her in thrall.”

Orsina winced. It had only been a couple of weeks, after all, since Aelia had only kept thralls. She took time considering her response. “I think they already know you better than that. You are an easy goddess to love and a difficult one to fear. It will take work; they may shy away at first, but I know you can make it work.”

Aelia shrugged. “At the least, I suppose they deserve to know who they’ve been praying to: a sort-of reformed chaos goddess who until a couple of weeks ago wouldn’t have been particularly bothered if Iius had devoured their entire town.”

Orsina embraced her. “And then tell them how their kindness and welcome changed that, how you ran to face him in order to bargain for their safety without any expectation that they would even know or repay you.”

Aelia blushed and rested her head on Orsina’s chest. “Orsina, the faith you have could power a god for centuries.”

They broke camp in easy silence. Even though they had only camped together once before. Orsina noticed that she and Aelia fell naturally into working together, creating a routine that they would likely follow for years. Spending so many consecutive nights at inns had been a luxury she had allowed herself when she believed her companion was an innocent young woman who had been almost murdered for running away from her abusive family. But Aelia did not seem to mind campfire cooking and sleeping outdoors, and if all went well in Bergavenna, they had much more traveling ahead of them.

“The occasional night in an actual bed would be appreciated,” Aelia observed.

“Of course, but camping frees us from planning our route around where the next town is.” Only after she said this did Orsina realize that Aelia had responded to what she had been thinking, not to something she had said.

Aelia frowned. “Sorry. I swear I’m not trying to look into your mind. You’re just... there.”

Orsina finished cinching up Star’s saddle bags, then walked over and kissed Aelia. “I have no problem with always being in your thoughts.”

Aelia flushed. “You'll let me know if that changes?” she asked softly.

“I will.” Orsina promised.

Once underway, it did not take them long to join the road again. It tended south, and on the far horizon Orsina could see a thick band of dark clouds looming. She glanced over at Aelia. “Tropical storm,” Aelia informed her. “It’s hitting Bergavenna now. It will probably reach us by supper.” The sky overhead was jewel-toned cerulean, though, and the sun was already warm, so they rode at an easy walk, enjoying the scenery and each other’s company. “I feel like Riana could paint this,” Aelia observed suddenly.

“Oh?”

“Two figures on horseback riding calmly toward a storm looming visibly in the distance. The contrasts between the bright colors and the dark grays is stark. I think she likes landscapes more than portraits, and she loves colors. She did such an amazing job painting the lake in Aethitide I showed her. I can’t wait to see it in person. I have to tell her to go outside and look at those clouds!” Aelia's gaze went distant. Orsina couldn’t help but chuckle. “What?” Aelia asked defensively when she returned to herself.

“I can see how you found your new domain: I suspect that wasn’t the first time you’ve suggested to someone that they drop what they’re doing and go admire the weather.”

Aelia sat up haughtily in her saddle. “Her chores will still be there.”

Orsina guided Star close enough to Lavender that she could reach out and take Aelia’s hand. “I know. Just remember that your followers need to maintain an art/life balance.”

“Art is life,” Aelia said flippantly as Orsina brought her hand to her lips.

“And life can be art.”

Aelia rolled her eyes. “‘Still Life with Dirty Dishes’: I can just—” she began sarcastically but cut herself off. “Wait, maybe Claretta would like to draw that. She likes sketching images from her daily life. It’d be lots of practice with texture and shading, plenty of detail...Yes! One second, I’ll be right back.” Again her eyes went unfocused briefly.

“We need to find you more worshippers,” Orsina noted drily,” or you’ll overwhelm your friends with ideas.” Aelia smirked. “You’re right. It’s just so fun, though! I feel so energized.”

Orsina glanced down and noticed that Aelia was fidgeting restlessly with Lavender’s reins. “Are you all right?”

“What? Oh, yes. I’m fine. Just excited, I suppose. Worshippers are so much more fun than thralls...And friends! I can’t wait to see what they’ve been working on. And tell them about the wraith. I bet Claretta would love to hear about that tonight while there’s a huge storm blowing through. She seems like someone who likes spooky stories. We should have a sleepover party at the inn with all of them!” Aelia spent the rest of the morning planning an increasingly elaborate celebration for their return to Catorisci, building it into the sort of affair a small town might have for a favored lifetime resident rather than two relative strangers who had passed through town for the first time a couple of weeks ago.

In a way, though, Orsina supposed that Catorisci was as much Aelia’s home as any place outside of Aethitide: most of her worshippers were there and though that would likely change, it would always be the place where humans had started venerating her as the Goddess of Inspiration. Orsina began to wonder if there was some sort of sympathy between Aelia and the town, for as the morning passed she grew even more animated, eventually speaking so quickly that Orsina struggled to catch all the words and often jumping to a new thought before finishing her current one. Her movements also became increasingly agitated, progressing from fidgeting to gesticulating to shifting around in her saddle to the point that Lavender began snorting and tossing her head to express her annoyance.

Concerned that Aelia might lose her balance and fall out of her saddle or manage to goad Lavender into bucking or bolting, Orsina spoke up. “Aelia, are you all right? You seem...manic.”

Aelia giggled. “Yes, I think I might be. I feel amazing! So many ideas. The countryside is so idyllic. I think I’ll have Lucil build a shrine by the lake and artists can come from all over and enjoy the scenery and meet with each other and there will be all sorts of festivals and artists will come from all over the world and even people who just really like art and they’ll come to find artists to hire and it will be so amazing and do you want to feel what this is like?”

Before Orsina could object, purple light erupted from Aelia’s body and blasted Orsina. Her protective tattoos responded reflexively, shielding her from the bulk of the blast, but even so her concentration shattered into thousands of fragmentary ideas: images, melodies, poetry, recipes, gadgets, equations...all of them shimmered brilliantly, each a miraculous breakthrough, yet they were all too slippery to grasp and fully shape.

It took a couple minutes for Orsina to regain enough composure to ignore the distractions and focus on Aelia. She had reverted to her old avatar and was floating above her saddle rather than riding in it. Her purple aura was large enough to envelope both of them and the horses, who were standing rigidly still with wide, unfocused eyes. Orsina almost lost herself again wondering what ideas the horses might be having, but she just managed to retain enough concentration to direct it on her blessing’s shield as she had been taught, using it to create for herself a bubble in Aelia’s untamed halo of pure chaotic inspiration. Even though Aelia’s magic was not malevolent or even particularly directed at her, Orsina had to work in order to sustain her bubble against the pressure of it. She would be unable to sustain it for long, and she was at a loss for how to break Aelia out of her trance. Surrounded by ideas, but in desperate need of a good one, Orsina thought. As if she had summoned it, a single drop of purple light condensed on the inside of her shield bubble, a single idea that had been filtered out of the flood. Intuitively, Orsina grasped at the droplet of inspiration with her mind, and reshaped her shield to funnel the idea to Aelia. Aelia, I think this will help you calm down, she cast her own thought out with it.

Aelia plucked the idea out of the air enthusiastically. “Oh, a swim in the lake sounds lovely!” she said, her voice resonant and full like an organ.

“A swim in the—” But before Orsina could finish, Aelia rocketed off in the direction of Lake Catorisci taking her magical aura and most of Orsina’s remaining magic with her. Orsina and the horses collapsed, awake but trembling with exhaustion and gasping for breath. Orsina struggled back to her feet as quickly as she could and cajoled the horses to do likewise. Star, a trained battle mount, did so readily, but Aelia’s pony was more resistant. It took nearly ten minutes to get her to stand, and she would go no faster than a trot.

When the lake came into view an hour later, just before noon, Orsina saw two figures on the near shore, opposite of the town. One, she was sure, was Aelia, once again in her more human form, soaking wet from her swim but no longer glowing, which was a good sign. The other appeared to be a fisher, though Orsina had thought the lake would still be devoid of life. The fisher appeared to be upset, which was understandable if they had just witnessed a ball of purple fire plunge into the lake to extinguish itself. By the time she reached the spot, though, only Aelia remained, sitting curled against the trunk of a willow tree with her arms wrapped around herself, sobbing. “Aelia, are you all right?” Orsina called, leaping off of Star and rushing to her. When she embraced her, she felt a tiny surge of magical energy flow between them.

“I should just go back to Aethitide forever. I’m not safe. I’ll always be chaotic and I’m going to hurt you and the Order is going to tell you to banish me anyway and then probably demote you or expel you and—”

“Aelia,” Orsina soothed, “you had a manic episode and now you’re crashing. It’s okay. Nothing bad happened. No one got hurt. No one is upset with you.”

“Cyne’s mad at me,” Aelia pouted.

“Cyne?” Orsina asked, confused.

“Didn’t you see him?” Aelia asked, nodding in the direction of where the fisher had been.

“Why would Cyne be angry with you?”

“... I may have created a new species of fish.”

Orsina was baffled. “Fish?”

“The lake didn’t have any, so I made some.”

“Oh. Why would Cyne be angry about that?”

“They talk.”

“The fish talk?!”

“It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“I see.”

“So Cyne had to come to rework the entire ecosystem to support my talking fish and had to make sure they were clever enough to not let themselves get caught easily. It was a lot of work.”

“I would imagine.”

At that moment Orsina became aware of the sound of people approaching. “I’m telling you, it was a sign! A giant ball of magical fire fell out of the sky and into the lake while I was praying to her.”

“Are you sure it’s safe?”

“That’s why we brought Lucil.”

“I can control the heat of a forge somewhat, but I don’t think my blessing would protect us from a meteor.”

“Dame Orsina? Elyne?! Are you okay?” Claretta emerged from the woods at a sprint, kneeling beside Aelia, who was still soaking wet and puffy-eyed from crying. Close behind were several others, who all quickly joined Claretta in tending to their friend.

Riana was the last to arrive. Unlike the others, when she saw Aelia she immediately prostrated herself. “Praise and glory to you, Aelia, Goddess of Inspiration!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine that being a god and changing your domain is a lot like puberty, only worse. I mean, suddenly your very being is behaving in ways that it never has. You think differently, you experience the world differently, you’re suddenly stronger than you’ve ever been since the beginning of time (thanks to an influx of actual worshippers). It would be disorienting if it occurred over the course of hundreds or thousands of years. But a couple of weeks?! Thank goodness that Orsina is such a strong, steady, unflappable presence for Aelia to lean on.
> 
> Looking ahead to the “major plot episode”, our heroes are going to start meeting humans who are not convinced gods can change and gods who are not happy that Aelia’s decided that she wants to. Plus, now that Iius has been banished, Catorisci is in need of a new patron deity...


	4. IV. Aelia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aelia and Orsina get settled at the inn in Catorisci and eat dinner. There’s something wrong with the chief prosecutor investigating the presence of chaos gods and chaos cults...
> 
> ENDS IN CLIFFHANGER (and the next chapter will likely take a few weeks to write).
> 
> CW: Brief, non-graphic description of “enhanced interrogation techniques” (i.e., torture) in the last couple of paragraphs..

**IV. Aelia**

“This was not how I wanted you all to find out,” Aelia sulked as the group trudged back to the road into town. Riana walked at her right side, and most of the other artists walked in a cluster around them. Claretta and Orsina trailed behind, leading the exhausted horses.

“Forgive me, Aelia,” Riana apologized. “I was so startled. I’ve never seen a god before.”

“It’s all right, Riana. I’m surprised you recognized me.”

“Elyne, you’re Aelia?” Lucil asked for the eleventh time. Not doubtful, simply not able to fully comprehend.

“I am.” Aelia smiled bravely, though she felt completely devastated. “But, let’s pretend I’m just Elyne for now. What has been happening in Catorisci since I left?”

“The Justices are still in the middle of their investigation,” Riana informed her, a hint of exhaustion in her voice.

“They’ve interrogated Riana four times now,” Sabela added.

“Riana?” Aelia asked, surprised. “Why are they investigating you?”

“The chief prosecutor, Magistrix Carmina, insists I bear the blessing of a chaos god, though her magic has been unable to compel me to utter the name or domain of the one I supposedly serve.”

“Oh.” Aelia swallowed hard. “About that. I—”

“Halt!” a stern voice commanded as they emerged from the woods between the lake and the road. Two soldiers dressed in the rust-red regalia of Reygmadra’s temple confronted them. “By order of the magistrix, the lake and its surroundings are off-limits during this investigation. On her authority, you are under arres—”

“At ease,” Orsina called as she hustled forward, leaving the horses with Claretta. “These townspeople had only gone out to greet me and my companion and to advise us of the restrictions in place.”

“And who are you?” the senior guard asked suspiciously.

“Dame Orsina of Melidrie, Paladin of the Order of the Sun. I'm the one who slew the chaos god who had been dwelling in the lake and notified the Temple.”

“Then you’ll understand why the magistrix wouldn’t want civilians mucking about while she is looking for evidence that there might be other chaos cults operating in the area.”

“I wasn’t aware that was a concern.”

“Typical paladin.” the younger guard scoffed. “Happy to do five minutes of flashy monster-slaying and leave the months of real work to others.”

“I’m surprised,” Orsina observed flatly, “that the magistrix is relying on members of Reygmadra's temple rather than the Order.”

“She requested paladins but the Order refused to dispatch them,” the older soldier spit disdainfully over their shoulder. “Fortunately, Reygmadra’s temple is always happy to collaborate when we are called upon.”

Orsina narrowed her eyes. Aelia could clearly hear her thought. _Something is wrong here._

 _Yes,_ Aelia agreed. _Can you get them to go away?_

“These townsfolk are known to me and I will vouch for them,” Orsina said to the soldiers.

“The Magistrix will want to question you, then,” the veteran objected.

“Go inform her that I will report to her tomorrow after sunrise service to discuss the status of the investigation and how I can help.”

“We’re officers of Reygmadra’s temple, not errand runners,” the younger guard yapped. “Our instructions are to detain—”

“As followers of the Goddess of War, surely you understand that orders from a field officer often override those from headquarters because the field officer has a clearer understanding of the tactics of the situation. There is a storm coming and I wish to tend to my horses before it arrives. I will see the magistrix tomorrow. You are dismissed.” Aelia had never seen Orsina put on an air of any sort of martial authority before, but the display was impressive, and the soldiers responded to it with reflexive meekness, stepping aside to let the group pass. Once they had distanced themselves somewhat, Orsina spoke in a low voice. “Aelia and I would like to get settled before the storm. Can she come to you tomorrow? I know you all wish to get reacquainted.”

“Of course,” Riana replied, with several others nodding their agreement. Then she whispered, “Welcome home, Aelia.”

***

“It’s me, isn’t it?” Aelia asked as they were unpacking their saddlebags and sorting their clothes to be laundered. “And because I answered Riana’s prayer, she’ll be convicted for being a chaos god’s priestess and it’ll be my fault.”

“If it is you, then when we notify the Order of your new domain, your worship will be authorized and Riana will be safe.”

“You make it sound like convincing the Order that worshipping me should be permitted will be as easy as filling out some paperwork.”

“Well,” Orsina cleared her throat. “I admit I’m uncertain of the process or how long it might take, but I still think that you being the target of the magistrix’s investigation is preferable.”

“Preferable to what?” Aelia asked, exasperated.

Orsina hesitated before answering. “Those were soldiers from Reygmadra’s temple.”

“You think she’s directly involved in this?” Aelia whispered.

“I don’t know,” Orsina shrugged. “I hope not.”

“But we did just save Ioanna, and we’re carrying her letter to the Order, and she probably knows about me being involved with stopping Edan, and we know she’s recruiting chaos gods like Edan and Cytha, and—”

“And I sincerely hope that we are only dealing with a talented, enthusiastic magistrate who was able to detect your influence on Riana and merely needs assurance that she and you are not a threat.”

“Dame Orsina?” Claretta called through the door. “Would you and El—Ael—El...” She took a breath and started again. “Would you two like a meal brought up to you?”

“No, thank you: we’ll come eat in the dining room,” Orsina replied. The magistrix is not the only one who might need assurance, she observed silently to Aelia as she walked over and opened the door.

Aelia wondered if Claretta had spoken to Orsina on the way from the lake and, if so, what they had talked about. Claretta had been the first to rush to her, but had quickly stepped away when Riana had proclaimed who Aelia truly was and had not spoken directly to her since. Even now as they walked down the hall toward the tavern, she had positioned Orsina between herself and Aelia, and kept her gaze averted. “With the storm, it will be empty tonight: most likely only the magistrix and yourselves. I had even given our musicians the night off.”

“That’s too bad,” Aelia said conversationally.

Claretta blanched and lowered her head. “I. I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I didn’t know you were returning and with the storm I thought it would be safer for them and the magistrix prefers to dine in silence anyway and—”

“It’s fine, Claretta,” Aelia soothed.

“Do you think the magistrix will want to speak with us over supper?”

Claretta thought for a moment. “I don’t think so. She prefers to eat alone and in silence, observing the other guests from her corner table.”

“Then I’d better be on my best behavior,” Aelia said, faking a winsome smile and fluttering her eyelashes. Claretta reflexively snickered, then paled. “Claretta, I meant what I said earlier: please, for now, can I be just Elyne from Otradosa? I want to be your friend.”

“I wish I could believe that,” Claretta said softly. For the first time she looked directly at Aelia, scrutinizing her. “Why would a g—someone like you want to be friends with a silly barmaid in rural Vesolda?”

Aelia pivoted to face Claretta. “Because it seems like a good idea. As you may have noticed, I can be pretty silly myself. So, what do you think?” Aelia reached out and took Claretta’s hand in hers.

Claretta flinched at her touch, but did not pull away. Instead, she looked at Orsi na, who had taken a step back to get out of their way. “Is she serious?” she asked, doubt and hope both in the question.

“Mostly silly, like she said,” Orsina replied drily. “But she’s telling the truth.”

Claretta nodded, then swallowed and turned back to Aelia. “Okay,” she sighed, then took a deep breath. “Friends,” she said, smiling shyly, wonder in her voice.

“Excuse me,” an unfamiliar voice interrupted, along with approaching footsteps. “The meal is being served at the usual hour, yes?” Aelia looked over Claretta's shoulder to see a small, elderly woman with thick spectacles approach. She was dressed in a full-length, unadorned gray robe, and her wiry gray hair was styled into a short, stiff bob. Even her skin, olive-toned but pale, appeared gray in the light. Aelia could clearly see Iolar’s blessing upon her, but noticed that its golden light seemed frayed somehow, and it, too, was piebald with colorless splotches. Aelia had never heard that blessings could senesce, but admittedly she had little direct experience with them.

“Yes, magistrix,” Claretta turned and bowed her head respectfully. “May I introduce Dame Orsina of Melidrie and her companion, Elyne of Otradosa?”

“Orsina?” The magistrix's brow furrowed slightly. “The paladin who discovered and banished the first chaos god. Your report was well-written and thorough, for which I thank you. But there are always more questions. I’m Carmina of Vereno, by the will of Iolar the magistrate appointed to lead the prosecution's investigation. I trust you’ll be available to answer a few more questions?”

“Of course. I—”

“Tomorrow, of course, after the Sunrise Service.” The magistrix nodded politely and excused herself to what had become her customary table positioned in a shadowy corner, from which she was able to inconspicuously watch the entire room.

Claretta led Orsina and Aelia to a table on the other side of the room, from which they could look out the window. The sky was beginning to darken to a sickening shade of yellow-green. “I’ll have to close the shutters soon,” Claretta noted to herself out loud.

“It’ll start raining in about ten minutes,”Aelia confirmed.

“I’ll serve the magistrix, then close up, then bring your supper. Is that okay?”

“Of course,” Orsina said. “Do you want help?”

“I think I’ve got it, unless the rain arrives early.” Claretta smiled appreciatively and excused herself with a quick curtsy. She returned a minute later deftly balancing a tray in one hand and carrying two stemmed glasses in the other. She stopped by their table and set down the glasses and a clay carafe of table wine.

“The last time I had wine, I got outrageously drunk and made a pass at Dame Orsina,” Aelia informed Claretta conspiratorially.

Claretta giggled, “I think you’d drown before you got drunk on our dinner wine; it’s not very strong.” She whisked over to the magistrix’s table and delivered her meal, then went outside to close the storm shutters.

“How are you feeling?” Orsina asked as she poured clear red wine into their glasses.

Aelia took a tentative sip. The wine was cool and refreshing, with a clean balance between sour and sweet and very little alcohol. “Better,” she said, “but still anxious. I feel like there’s something I’m supposed to do, but can’t concentrate enough to figure out what it is.”

“Food will help,” Orsina assured.

 _You do realize I only started eating after I met you, right?_ Aelia said mentally.

 _So that’s why you were a chaos god before,_ Orsina replied, nonchalantly sipping her wine, _you were hungry-angry._

Aelia snorted. “Maybe you’re right,” she said out loud.

“You should get your sketchbook. Even if it’s just doodling it might help you release some nervous energy.”

“I’m not sure I want Claretta to see how awful I am,” Aelia fretted.

“She knows you just started, and I think she’d appreciate that you’re not already a master.”

“If you say so,” Aelia said dubiously, then stood up and headed toward their room. As she passed near the magistrix’s table, she felt a tingle of chaotic magical energy. She didn’t dare stop until she was back in their room.

 _Orsina,_ she thought, _I need to borrow your eyes: I think something is wrong with the magistrix._

 _Okay,_ Orsina consented. Aelia lay down on the bed and let her sensory awareness slip out of her avatar and follow the curious spiritual link that had somehow formed between herself and Orsina. Then she was co-inhabiting Orsina’s body with Orsina’s own consciousness, which embraced her in welcome. _What do we do?_ Orsina asked.

 _We don’t want to be obvious, but I need to see the magistrix._ Orsina took a drink of wine and allowed their gaze to wander in the direction of the magistrix’s table. She pretend to stop and observe a painting that hung nearby. Out of Orsina’s peripheral vision, they could see that the magistrix’s golden blessing was flickering slightly, like a candle flame near a draft. Streaks of gray slashed across its surface like cuts from a knife. The wounds healed quickly, but not before a misty droplet of golden light bled from them.

 _What's happening to her?_ Orsina asked.

 _Something is attacking her blessing. I think,_ Aelia said.

_That can happen? Wouldn't she feel something?_

_Whoever it is has been doing this for years. I imagine she’s numb to it by now._

_Look: her glasses!_ The thick eyeglasses the magistrix was wearing had clouded over to a foggy gray, and even darker shadowy shapes seemed to writhe within the fog.

_So that's how they're doing it! Those glasses are an artifact. The god responsible for them could be anywhere._

_We have to help her._ Aelia could feel Orsina’s consciousness prepare to tell her body to move.

 _Wait! You can't just charge over there and rip them off her. She won't believe you. We need to wait until they're dormant. Tonight, when she’s a slee—_ The Magistrix rose suddenly, stiffly, as if she were not entirely in control of her own movements, and stalked down the hall toward the rooms. Without hesitating, Aelia detached herself from Orsina’s body and returned her awareness to her own. She didn’t dare intercept the magistrix in the hall, so went over to the door and placed her ear against it to listen for her to pass. As she did, Aelia could hear her muttering. “Don't trust... paladin... fooled... The priestess...” Unfortunately, she spoke in fragments, and Aelia didn’t dare attempt to look into her mind while she was being actively possessed. Instead, when she heard a door further down the hall close, she took a deep breath, opened her own door, and returned to the dining room.

 _Where did she go?_ Orsina asked when she saw her.

 _To her room, I think,_ Aelia said.

“Sorry that took so long,” Claretta apologized as she emerged from the kitchen with a tray of bread, cheese, cured meats and mixed vegetables tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. “Here’s a bit to start with. Dame Orsina, we have roasted pork or pasta with meat sauce. I'm afraid the best I can do for vegetarian is pasta with an herb and garlic pesto and roasted veggies.”

“Pasta sounds delicious,” Aelia assured her. “I don’t need to eat much, anyway.”

Claretta flushed and laughed nervously. “No, I suppose you don’t. Dame Orsina?”

“I’ll have the pasta with pesto, as well.”

***

An hour later, Aelia and Orsina were finishing their pasta and Claretta was wiping down tables and preparing the tavern for the next day. The torrential rain pelting the roof created a wash of white noise and the shutters rattled violently in the gale, but inside the tavern it was dry and warm and cozy. Aelia slurped the last noodle off her fork and savored the taste of crushed herbs and olive oil. A part of her regretted having taken so long to discover how enjoyable eating well-prepared food could be: it had always seemed like such a chore to prepare and clean up after. But somehow humans had discovered millions of different ways to combine different ingredients into satisfying, even exciting meals. Aelia considered for a moment just who would think of wandering around in the woods all day collecting plant parts, then bringing them home, mushing them into a green paste, dumping that on top of floppy bits of weirdly-shaped wheat flour, and trying to eat it. Clearly she had her work cut out for her if she was ever going to top that wild idea.

“You’ll get there,” Orsina encouraged. “You’re already independently inventing lemonade, after all.”

Aelia smiled wryly. “Fortunately I’m not responsible for coming up with every idea myself: I’d have to spend at least a million years learning about everything that’s already been thought of.”

“Can I bring you some dessert?” Claretta asked, swinging by to check on them on her way back to the kitchen.

“I’m full, thank you,” Orsina said.

“Have you eaten yet?” Aelia asked.

“I eat before so I’m not hungry while I'm serving.”

“Sit down,” Aelia offered, gesturing to an empty chair. “You’ve been working hard and no one is even here.”

“Let your friend finish her job,” Orsina chided gently. “Or, you could offer to help.”

Aelia just barely resisted making a face. It would probably be “good” for her: maybe she would think of a way to make washing dishes easier. And they could chat while they worked, which would be enjoyable. She looked to Claretta, “Would you like some help?”

“Well,” Claretta hemmed, “I’m mostly finished: just a few last dishes and locking up the kitchen and pantry, but I suppose you could come back to the kitchen with me.”

Aelia and Orsina let Claretta stack their dishes on the tray, and Aelia followed her back to the kitchen. It was larger than Aelia had imagined. The hearth filled an entire wall, and intense heat still radiated from it even though most of the coals had been scattered. In the hearth were multiple iron spits and hooks for hanging pots. There was also a brick oven built into it. Next to the hearth, rows of long-handled spoons, ladles, and spatulas were hung neatly on hooks mounted on the wall. Twined bundles of drying herbs and cloves of garlic were also hanging from nails in the walls or from racks suspended from the ceiling. Two long wooden tables built to standing height dominated the center of the space. They were divided into multiple stations, though Aelia couldn’t tell whether the stations were for different individual cooks to use or for different types of dishes to be prepared at them. Against one of the walls adjacent to the hearth was a long trough for washing dishes. “Wow,” was all that Aelia could manage.

“More involved than what you have at home, eh?” chuckled a burly neutrois standing in a doorway that led to the cellars. They were wearing an apron and holding a large knife, both of which were covered in blood. Interestingly, they were blessed with Inthi’s fire.

“Oh, Arril! I forgot you were here. This is Elyne, who’s staying with us. Elyne, this is Arril, Lucil's twin. They’re our chef.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Aelia said.

“So, you’ve met Lucil. You’re an artist, then?” Arril asked as they walked over to the hearth and dunked their hands in a small pot of boiling water.

“I like being with artists. Claretta introduced me to her group when I last passed through town.”

“Elyne is traveling with the dame who slew the monster in the lake,” Claretta added.

“Ah, she’s here as well, then? I should thank her: it’s bothered me for years that I’ve never been able to cook with fresh fish even though I live right next to a lake. It’ll still be several years, of course, but—”

“There are fish now,” Aelia said, then wondered whether she should have. Well, it wasn’t like the fish wouldn’t be discovered eventually. “I doubt they’re edible, though,” she added.

“Fish already?” Arril asked. “The lake must have needed things living in it. Chaos gods are bad business.”

“Not all of u—them.” Aelia said defensively. “Iius isn’t very pleasant, but who would be if your entire essence was defined by insatiable ravenous hunger?”

“Hah!” Arril laughed. “Claretta and I have both encountered our share of unpleasant hungry people, haven’t we?” Claretta looked up from the dish she was scrubbing. “Oh, my, yes. I've had more than my share, though: you get to hide back here while I explain why the food is taking so long to prepare.”

“How long have you cooked?” Aelia asked. “I thought that most people blessed by Inthi were drawn to the forge.”

“Most,” Arril shrugged, “but not all. Though you could say that the kitchen is a forge of a different sort.”

“Lucil and I have been trying to convince Arril to come to our group,” Claretta said.

“You only want me for the food I might bring,” Arril teased.

“They’d make good taste-testers if you wanted to bring new dishes to try,” Aelia suggested.

Arril shook their head. “There are only so many ways to turn a pig on a spit. The last time I tried something new was with the blend of herbs I use to make that pesto, and that was several years ago. Most of our regular patrons have simple tastes and always want exactly the same thing, and the availability of ingredients is difficult to control, especially exotic spices. The potential of Catorisci’s cuisine is tapped. Although, now that there are fish in the lake...”

“You might try making more dishes without meat, too. Elyne is a vegetarian,” Claretta observed.

“Really?” Arril asked curiously. “It's true, I don’t have many dishes that do not have some meat or fat in them. Our regular guests think themselves to be above eating beans. Will you be staying long? I should make sure I prepare some meals you can eat.”

“Orsina and I will be staying for a few—” A searing bolt of colorless light burst through Aelia's mind, shattering her train of thought. Her knees buckled, and she was only just able to catch herself in the table. She was vaguely aware of Orsina rushing in and embracing her to support her.

“Elyne! Are you all right?!” Claretta gasped. Aelia was not all right. The light coalesced into a mental image of Riana tied to a rack. Beside her stood the two soldiers that had intercepted them earlier. Interrogating her was the magistrix, punctuating each screamed question with a bolt of gray magic that burned through Riana and made her writhe in pain. Aelia could feel each blast. The shadows behind the magistrix took on a vaguely humanoid shape. _Dear sister,_ a whispered, sibilant voice hissed in her mind, _it’s been so long. I can't wait to see you. And to meet your lover._ The shadow whispered in the magistrix's ear, and her next burst of magic was powerful enough that Aelia fainted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I’m so excited a few people have managed to discover, read, and even like what I’ve written so far. Somewhat accidentally I seem to have struck a vein of plot in Catorisci; I promise I’ll get back to Aelia/Orsina cuteness.
> 
> But, in TQoR, Orsina is pretty chill with Aelia being zapped into nothingness right in front of her, so clearly between the end of DotS and their arrival in Birsgen Aelia must get zapped, probably multiple times.
> 
> It may take me a little longer to write and post the next chapter, but I know where I’m headed:
> 
> ***SPOIILERS***
> 
> Another chaos god is banished.  
> Aelia “officially” (whatever that means) claims Catorisci as a city under her patronage/protection and ordains Riana as her first priestess.  
> It is hinted that Reygmadra has been recruiting chaos gods for a long time as one of her many ways to foment wars and discord. Of course, the Chaos God of Conspiracies is the one doing the hinting, so...

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first fanfic and my first publicly posted fic. Effie, if you are reading this, thank you again for creating Orsina, Aelia, and their world. Discovering your work helped a lot with getting through 2020.
> 
> I have Plans for these two, but I don’t know how much I’ll actually finish writing, and I doubt it will be chronological. Anyway, if you’re reading this, I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> —Joss (02/2021)


End file.
